Morris Hospital Foundation launches 2012 appeal

Funds sought for cardiac catheterization lab

Published: Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012 2:59 p.m. CDT

The Morris Hospital Foundation’s 2012 appeal is currently underway, with funds continuing to be raised for the new cardiac catheterization lab.

The cardiac cath lab is used during diagnostic studies and interventions including coronary and peripheral angiography, angioplasty, stenting, pacemaker and defibrillator implantation, and interventional radiology special procedures.

The most dramatic use of the technology is during a STEMI, a type of heart attack in which the coronary artery is completed blocked by a blood clot. Guided by images obtained with the angiographic system, specially trained cardiologists at Morris Hospital are able to open blocked arteries and restore blood flow to the heart during a procedure called coronary angioplasty.

Nearly 8,000 patients have benefitted from the technology since the inception of Morris Hospital’s cardiac program in 2002. Morris Hospital is the only provider of cardiac catheterization in nearly a 30-mile radius. During an emergency, each precious mile and minute makes a difference.

The Morris Hospital Foundation has been accepting gifts toward the $1.2 million cath lab throughout the year, with $110,000 raised at the Auxiliary Ball last March, and another $88,500 received through other donations. In addition, Morris Hospital has committed $367,000 to the project, and an additional $418,000 was received through a government funded grant. That leaves $301,500 remaining through philanthropy.

“Morris Hospital has always enjoyed a rich history of community philanthropy, dating all the way back to 1906 when local citizens rallied in support of establishing their first community hospital,” says Ginny Kelly, vice president of development at Morris Hospital. “Back then, gifts ranged from linens and livestock to proceeds from billiard rooms and saloons. While times have surely changed, donors from our early days are similar to today’s donors in that they understood the importance of quality local healthcare.”

The Morris Hospital Foundation welcomes gifts of all sizes. Donations can be made online by going to www.morrishospital.org/donate, or by calling (815) 942-2932, ext. 1435, to request donation materials by mail.

Any gift made to the Morris Hospital Foundation can be made in honor or memory of a loved one.
The Morris Hospital Foundation, which is governed by a 20-member, volunteer board of directors, was established in 1994 to enhance the work of Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers.

The Morris Hospital Foundation, through its fundraising efforts, provides donors the opportunity to make outright, as well as legacy gifts impacting both the community’s immediate and future healthcare needs.